Book Title: Tales Between Tastes
Author: Karan Puri
A tender and imaginative addition to children’s literature, Tales Between Tastes is a book that doesn’t just tell stories; it serves them, warm and fragrant, straight from the heart. Written by Karan Puri, this delightful collection blends nostalgia, flavour, and whimsy into a reading experience that lingers like a favourite meal.
Described as “India’s quirkiest short story collection where food talks, revolutions rise, and laddoos become legends,” the book lives up to its promise. Each story uncovers the quiet magic hidden in everyday meals and forgotten recipes, weaving humour and emotion into narratives that resonate across generations.
The foreword by Pushpesh Pant adds both gravitas and cultural richness. His association underscores the book’s deeper layer. It is not merely about food, but about memory, identity, and the invisible threads that bind families together.
At its core, this is a book about connection and belonging. It celebrates the timeless wisdom passed down not through formal lessons but through shared kitchens, handwritten recipes, and bedtime stories whispered across generations. As Karan shares, his inspiration came from a deeply personal place: the desire not only to care for his daughter’s physical well-being but also to enrich her inner world.
Where food tells stories
In India, food is never just about sustenance; it is storytelling in its most intimate form. Every household carries its own culinary folklore: a grandmother’s secret spice mix, a festival dish tied to childhood memories, or a simple dal-chawal meal that becomes comfort on difficult days. Around dining tables, stories are served alongside rotis of migration, love, resilience, and celebration.
From the aroma of tadka that signals homecoming to the ritual of sharing sweets at milestones, Indian homes are built as much on stories as on recipes. It is this cultural essence that Tales Between Tastes captures so beautifully. The book mirrors how Indians don’t just eat food, they remember through it, celebrate with it, and pass down their identities through it.
Feast for Young Minds
Aimed at readers aged 8–17, the book explores India’s diverse historical and cultural landscapes. It gently weaves life lessons into its narratives, much like a hidden ingredient that enhances flavour without overpowering the dish.
The imagery is vivid: chapatis folded like secret letters, mangoes echoing lost summers, and tiffin boxes carrying emotions as much as meals. Each story leaves behind a quiet aftertaste of reflection, empathy, and warmth. There are edible metaphors in the book. Food becomes character, narrator, and storyteller in inventive ways rarely seen in Indian children’s literature.
The author Karan Puri says, “Tales Between Tastes is more than a children’s book. It is an experience meant to be shared.” It invites families to read and reflect together, and perhaps even revisit their own kitchen stories. Like the best meals, it nourishes both heart and mind, leaving you fuller in ways you didn’t expect.
About the Author
Karan Puri writes the way a master chef cooks, layered, flavourful, and full of heart. His debut novel, Shit Happens: Desi Boy in America, earned a place on the India Today Top 20 Books of 2012 list, establishing his voice as both humorous and relatable.
